A Tapestry of Sacred Music is a unique festival presented by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, which brings you the rich colours and sounds of religious communities from within Singapore and around the world. Happening from 30 Apr – 3 May 2026, the 17th edition of the festival takes you from mosques to temples, village grounds to cathedrals, sharing cherished devotional artforms from communities of all kinds. Above all, the festival exists to share a deeper message.

The world today can be one that focuses on the divisive, especially as we get caught in the crossfire of earthly powers grappling for influence and dominion. This may happen not only through open armed conflict, but crafted messages and curated images that subversively encourage a view to dehumanise the other. None of this is new, but it has been amplified to an unprecedented degree by technology and our hyperconnectivity.

A Tapestry of Sacred Music seeks to remind us that there is far more that unites us as humans than divides us. As you move from space to space, you may encounter a song, a chant, or a refrain that moves you, or sets your skin tingling in awe. Even if you might not understand the words or share the same beliefs, the connection created through art is palpable at a human level—an affirmation that we as humans, all share the same emotions, hopes, anxieties and desires.

The variety of sacred performances presented this year represent diverse histories and geographies. Experience the ecstatic exaltation of Pakistani qawwali performed by Rizwan and Muazzam Ali Khan—inheritors of a 700-year-old musical lineage—as if in a Sufi shrine. Witness the frenetic masquerade dances of Gambian Kumpo, believed to be a spiritual village guardian, garbed in a heavy coat of dried palm leaves. Imbibe in the atmosphere of Kurokawa Noh, performed in the depths of winter as a ritual for the gods of Kasuga shrine. Harken the soaring harmonies of Corsican brothers as they belt their hymns heavenwards. Be awashed by waves of powerful voice as a Papuan choir sings of prophets and apostles. Dance to the joyful bounce of Isaan ceremonial music for the dispelling of illnesses.

We wish you many discoveries and personal insights as you encounter different communities and their cultural treasures, and hope you will leave with a renewed spirit of kinship that unites us all.

Tan XiangHui
Senior Producer, The Esplanade Co Ltd